Marilyn Oberhausen, left, and Bree Conover, right, is part of the contingent of local residents gathered at the Pensacola Train Station platform on Heinberg Street for the arrival of an Amtrak train Friday morning. Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

Dozens of local residents gathered at the Pensacola Train Station platform on Heinberg Street to watch the arrival of an Amtrak train Friday morning. The Amtrak visit is part of the Southern Rail Commission’s Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Inspection trip. Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

Local residents gather at the Pensacola Train Station Friday morning to welcome an Amtrak train to the city. The Pensacola stop is part of the Southern Rail Commission’s Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Inspection trip. Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

Local residents gather at the Pensacola Train Station Friday morning to welcome an Amtrak train to the city. The Pensacola stop is part of the Southern Rail Commission’s Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Inspection trip. Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

Robert Childs, left, looks for the arrival of an Amtrak train in Pensacola while standing on the train platform on Heinberg Street station Friday morning. Dozens of local rail travel supporters helped to welcome the arrival the Southern Rail Commission’s Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Inspection Trip train. Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

Buried in the $1.3 trillion omnibus bill that kept the government open through September and was signed by President Donald Trump on Friday is a bit of hope for those wanting to see passenger rail service return to the Gulf Coast — including to Pensacola.

The law contains $20 million for a grant program aimed at initiating, restoring or enhancing passenger rail service, according to Bryan Gulley, a Senate Commerce Committee spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

"The program, which Florida Sen. Bill Nelson helped establish in 2015, is competitive but it was created with the Gulf Coast service in mind," Gulley said in an email to the News Journal. "For example, the grant program gives priority to restoring service on routes formerly operated by Amtrak. So, if the Gulf Coast line gets approval, the grant money could be used to help restore the line."

The bill also includes $592 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program, which contains $35.5 million to restore lost passenger service, according to the Southern Rail Commission.

Gulley said Sen. Nelson remains hopeful that progress will continue to be made on the project to restore passenger service to the Florida Gulf Coast.

Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group, a partnership between the Federal Railroad Administration, Southern Rail Commission and 28 cities, regional planning councils and state departments of transportation including Florida, released a report to Congress in July urging the implantation of daily round-trip Amtrak service between New Orleans and Orlando.

The working group estimated the cost to restore the service at approximately $115 million, but CSX disputed that amount, saying it would instead cost $2 billion. The working group said it could not validate CSX's estimate without knowing the methodology behind the estimate.

CSX told the News Journal in an email that the company is selling two rail lines in the Panhandle, one from Jacksonville to Chattahoochee and the other from Chattahoochee to Pensacola.

"The decision to sell these lines was based on an ongoing evaluation of CSX’s network, operations and assets to ensure they’re delivering value that meets the company’s long-term business needs," the CSX email said. "...Throughout this process, CSX is communicating with customers, union representatives and employees impacted by the potential sales, and we’re committed to working closely with regulatory agencies reviewing and approving the transactions."

Knox Ross, vice chairman of the Southern Rail Commission, said the sale could help the effort to restore passenger service to Florida.

"(State and federal regulators) could make the passenger train a condition of sale," Ross said. "That they have to maintain the line to at least current standard, and that they have to allow the (passenger) train."

Ross said the Southern Rail Commission is trying to get twice-daily rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, that he said will help the effort to restore passenger service to the rest of the Gulf Coast.

Restoration of the full New Orleans to Orlando route will be more difficult, with federal regulations requiring new safety technology known as positive train control to be installed along passenger service route.

Ross said most of the line from Pensacola to Orlando doesn't have positive train control.

Nelson's office said they secured funding for a $250 million program to award grants to install new positive control systems, which could be used for the restoration of the route.

Ross said the effort to revive the route began with people calling their elected leaders and asking for it to come back, and he said if people still want to see it come back, they should keep calling their leaders.

"If people think it's important, then they should let their elected representatives know it," Ross said.

Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.

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An Amtrak inspection train made a stop in Pensacola on Friday.
Will Isern